14 Nutritional Facts You Didn’t Know Before

Information regarding nutrition is ever-changing and that leaves a majority of the people baffled as to what they should believe and what they should not. Mainstream media is not proving to be helpful in this scenario. It introduces the audience to many nutritional facts but fails to update them with the discreditation of the same. That is why you should look for authentic sources and not believe everything the mainstream media tells you.

14 Nutritional Facts You Didn’t Know Before

This article is an attempt to authenticate some of the information under the banners of nutrition. It will take you through some genuine nutrition facts that you should know.

1- Nuts are good for your health.

There is more to nuts than meets the eye. They may have earned a bad reputation for containing fats, but this fat is good for your health. Nuts contain monounsaturated fat that helps keep your heart healthy.

Many studies find that people consuming nuts are lesser prone to developing heart disease and Type 2 diabetes. Consuming nuts have also been associated with a lower risk of death from heart disease, cancer, and other causes.

Another study has shown that nuts consumption prevents weight gain and tends to reduce it (however, not in significant numbers). The main reason for no increase in weight has been identified as such that nuts provide more satiety as compared to other foods.

2- Whole grains can impact your metabolism.

Despite the popular belief, whole grains are not as good as you may think. Most of the grains contain gluten, which leads to inflammation and ultimately chronic diseases, allergies, Celiac, cognitive decline, arthritis, Crohn’s, GERD, Lupus, Guillan-Barre, Fibromyalgia, cancer, and so on.

Not only this but also the starches present in whole grains result in increased insulin levels as they turn into sugar immediately while digesting. These increased levels can be harmful to people with diabetes. Even those who are non-diabetic would experience dramatic swings in concentration and energy.

Whole grains contain phytic acid, which makes it difficult for the essential minerals, like calcium magnesium, iron, copper, and zinc, to absorb in your system.

3- Artificial trans fats are incredibly harmful.

Trans fats or hydrogenated fats do not go well with the human body. These fats are produced by injecting hydrogen molecules into vegetable oils. It turns the liquid vegetable oil into a toxic, thick structure that becomes solid at room temperature. Not only they are unappetizing, but they also raise the risk of heart disease.

Many clinical trials and observational studies have pointed out the link between trans fats and a significant increase in the risk of heart disease. Also, some clinical trials have found that the trans fats increase inflammatory markers like Interleukin-6 (IL-6) and Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha). It is pertinent to mention here that excess inflammation is perceived as a driving factor of several chronic diseases.

4- Eating smaller and frequent meals does not help you lose weight.

It is widely accepted notion that smaller and more frequent meals help you lose weight. But unfortunately, it is not true. Studies have shown that eating every 2-3 hours has no effect upon body weight or fat burning. In fact, eating like this is inconvenient and unnecessary.

That is one of the facts that mainstream media has told you but failed to give a heads up that studies tend to prove otherwise. Studies have shown that consuming three meals of 800 calories will cause the same effect on the metabolism rate as consuming six meals of 400 calories will do.

5- Vegetarian diet is not a healthy one.

It is an acknowledgeable fact that vegetables are good for your health. However, a majority of the vegan diets contain large portions of cereals and whole grains rather than that of vegetables and fruits. Whole grains are not nutrient dense nor are the cereals. Moreover, these diets tend to be rich in carbohydrates while containing lesser amounts of protein and healthful saturated fats. That makes them a bad choice for the healthy diet.

Vegans can develop Vitamin B-12 deficiency because of their diet. Those who eat animal products like dairy may attain some Vitamin B-12 through their diet, but still not enough. Furthermore, their diet is devoid of the much-required minerals and healthy fats present in the meat and bones of animals. These minerals and fats help the brain function and cell function.

6- Omega-3 is vital, and you may not be getting enough.

Omega-3 fats are essential to the proper functioning of your body. An omega-3 fatty acid, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), which comes from animals, constitutes almost 10-20% of your brain’s fat content. If you do not take in enough omega-3 fats, you may suffer from lower IQ, various mental disorders, depression, heart disease and other severe diseases.

ALA, the plant form, does not function properly in the human body and thus needs to be converted into EPA or DHA. However, the process of conversion is not efficient in the human body. Therefore, it is better to consume plenty of DHA and EPA-rich foods.

7- The ‘Perfect Diet’ is not the same for everyone.

Everyone among us is unique in his/her way. There are differences, though subtle, in body type, physical activity, genetics, and environment, which can affect the kind of diet you should consume.

Some people go well with a vegetarian high-carb diet while some should observe a low-carb diet. You have to sort it out as to what type of diet you should follow. You may be low on Vitamin B-12 and taking a vegan diet would not do you any good. However, there are certain harmful food items, which everyone should avoid like sugary drinks or trans fats.

8- Saturated fat is good for you.

There is a study conducted many years ago that proved saturated fat as detrimental to health. Since then, saturated fat is identified as an inconsumable food. However, a recent reanalysis of that study finds that it did not consider data from 16 countries. A study was arranged to find out whether the decrease in saturated fat consumption could improve the cardiovascular health. This study found no evidence regarding the link between consumption of saturated fat and increased risk of coronary heart disease or cardiovascular disease.

In fact, saturated fats are good for your health. They are crucial for your body to function properly. Therefore, you should replace the corn, soybean, corn, or canola oil with ghee, coconut oil, grass-fed butter, olive oil, and sesame oil.

9- Intense running is not healthy for everyone.

Exercise is a crucial to your health as it reduces stress, the risk of various diseases, and helps maintain weight. However, intense running is not healthy at all. It harms your skeleton, muscular, and other systems in your body. It can even damage your hormonal system. According to a study, people who run on high-mileage and those who do not do any exercise both are likely to have a shorter life as compared to moderate runners. Prolonged and intense running produces free radicals, which promote the buildup of plaque in the arteries and contribute to oxidative stress. Therefore, you should always be running in moderation. You should do running at a slower pace and with intervals. It is even better to go for high-intensity interval training instead of running.

10- Added Sugar is detrimental to your health.

The sugar that is added to the processed foods in order to improve their taste is known as added sugar. Types of added sugars used commonly are syrups and sugar (sucrose). As you definitely know that high sugar consumption is not good for health, consuming added sugar is even worse.

Added sugar is unhealthy because it contains empty calories. It contains no nutrients and has only sugar. It eventually develops nutrient deficiencies in the consumer.

Furthermore, ‘empty calories’ is not the only issue with added sugar. Experts claim that its consumption is associated with many risks of diseases, which are killing millions of people each year.

Added sugar is perceived as a leading cause of heart diseases, type 2 diabetes, and obesity.

11- High-protein diets are not harmful to healthy kidneys and liver.

It is a widely believed notion that consuming too much protein will take a toll on a person’s kidney and liver and would eventually result in osteoporosis. This notion is a persistent myth. Although it is a fact that those having liver or kidney disease should minimize their protein intake, it is hitherto unknown as to what are the long-term effects of animal protein on normal kidney function.

You should know that proteins are vital to cells, bone health, and hormone building. It is crucial for every process in your body. The high-quality protein contains essential amino acids, which are believed to improve bone health and lower the fracture risk. It also fortifies calcium retention and enhances bone metabolism.

12- Fruit juice is not healthy either.

You may be surprised to know that fruit juices are as bad as the sugary soft drinks are. That is because these juices contain the same amounts of sugar a soft drink such as coca cola contains. Also, when you squeeze the juice out of a fruit, you are giving up on fiber, which is one of the reasons you are supposed to eat fruit. Moreover, there is no chewing resistance when you are drinking fruit juices due to which consuming large quantity of sugar becomes easy.

Sugar present in one glass of orange is equal to the sugar present in two whole oranges.

Therefore, you should avoid fruit juices just as you are avoiding the sweetened beverages.

13- Avoiding vitamin D deficiency is necessary.

Vitamin D is not a mere vitamin rather it acts as a hormone in your body. Your skin makes Vitamin D when it receives the sun’s ultraviolet rays. However, a significant portion of the world’s population suffers from a deficiency in this critical hormone. The reason is such that the sun is not everywhere, every time. In fact, it remains unavailable for most of the year.

Even where the sun is available, people prefer staying indoors and apply sunscreen when they go out. Sunscreen does not allow the generation of Vitamin D in your body.

Vitamin D deficiency is linked to a number of serious diseases such as diabetes, osteoporosis, cancer, and many others.

14- Your body needs healthy sugars to thrive.

Not all sugars are bad; it is just the refined sugars. Refined sugars are bad because they are calorie-high and impact the release of insulin. Consuming refined sugar results in increased risk of Type 2 diabetes, pancreatic cancer, and cardiovascular disease.

However, healthy sugars are essential for proper body functioning. Your body needs all kinds of nutrients, and that includes sugar too. Do not replace refined sugar with artificial sweeteners, as they are associated with weight gain, kidney damage, cancers, memory loss, headaches, thyroid dysfunction, and seizures.

To fulfill your need for sugar, you should consume natural sweeteners in moderation. Raw stevia, coconut sugar, dates, raw honey, and so on are the sweeteners that are healthy to add to your life. These sweeteners have not only provided you with natural sugar but also hold many other benefits, For instance, honey boosts the immune system, balances the pH levels in the body, and supports restful sleep.

Conclusion

Right food at the right time has the potential to solve every health issue you may come across. All you have to do is a little research and that too from a reliable source. Your body requires nutrition to function smoothly. That is the reason a balanced diet plays a significant role in your life. Several myths are circulating on social media and the MSM; however, you must remember that not all of those may be true.

Nevertheless, healthy food and healthy lifestyle not only provides you with nutrition but also helps you escape the diseases that are killing millions of individuals every year.